Under
the cloud of front office breakup and the first non-playoff season since 2009,
the Rangers began the off-season with a daunting task. With a thin class of
free-agent talent and an inflated market, the club had to unclog a jam in the
middle infield, find a run-producing left-handed hitter, rebuild the catching
position from scratch and add an outfielder.

Just for kicks, the management group was challenged to hold on to core young
players and precious draft picks and to keep the payroll essentially flat.

Well, six out of seven ain’t bad.

On Saturday afternoon, the remaking of the roster became complete when,
according to two sources close to the negotiations, the Rangers and outfielder
Shin-Soo Choo agreed on a seven-year, $130 million contract that is still
subject to a physical exam. If all goes well with the physical, Choo will be
introduced shortly after Christmas as the Rangers’ new offensive catalyst.

The deal will obliterate any hopes of keeping the payroll close to the $125
million figure the team spent in 2013. Such is the cost of winning the
off-season.

General manager Jon Daniels, who was as silent as he was stealthy Saturday,
noted during the winter meetings, “It’s not about winning the off-season; it’s
about making our team better.”

Nothing wrong with accomplishing both.

At least as it stood on the shortest day of the year, that’s exactly what the
Rangers have done this winter with remarkable efficiency. And, it should be
noted, it is a direct contrast to last off-season.

Last winter, the Rangers juggled option after option after option, constantly
trying to find the right combinations to create some master design. At the end,
all they got was one juggling pin after another bopping them on the head.

This winter, the Rangers have attacked — and acted — on their needs one by
one.

In trading Ian Kinsler for Prince Fielder a month ago, the Rangers freed up a
spot for Jurickson Profar to play regularly. At the same time, they added the
kind of left-handed power hitter who was not available on the free-agent market.

Over the next two weeks, the Rangers got short-term deals done to fill
catcher with Geovany Soto and J.P. Arencibia for a little more than half ($4.8
million) what 2013 starter A.J. Pierzynski ($8.25 million) will make in Boston
next season. While Pierzynski has a more well-rounded offensive game, Soto and
Arencibia are considered far superior in the art of “pitch-framing” to help
pitchers get strike calls on close pitches. Arencibia has more power than
Pierzynski, Soto more patience.

All the early moves positioned the Rangers to bring back the juggling act.

They could wait to see what unfolded with Japanese ace Masahiro Tanaka or
they could pursue Choo. If Tanaka were posted and if the Rangers could sign him
and if they could then deal newfound pitching surplus for a bat, they might be
able to save some money and hold on to even more young talent. They could strike
on Choo, which would cost them a draft pick, but the trade of Craig Gentry for
Michael Choice in late November brought them a former first-round draft choice
with three minor league options still remaining.

Or they could continue to play things out and wait for another option to
present itself.

As recently as a mid-week, Daniels was suggesting the team was very possibly
done making big free-agent moves.

He never said, though, that the club would stop trying to make them.

In the end, Choo simply made too much sense. His ability to reach base at the
top of the lineup is a perfect fit for a team that was sensational (59-17) when
it scored first, but which scored first in less than half of its games. He will
allow Leonys Martin, who is struggling in the Dominican Republic, to hit from
the bottom third of the order with less pressure. He is an above average
defensive outfielder.

The only place Choo didn’t fit was in the payroll.

Co-owners Ray Davis and Bob Simpson have already shown a willingness to bend
on that front when presented with a persuasive argument. On Saturday, they were
persuaded by another such argument.

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